The old republic: Dreadnaught
by Arashi Kazama
Summary: taking place after the sacking of the jedi temple on courscant, the story follows the lone bounty hunter Shae vizla and a rebellious sith warrior Lord Adraas, and their quest to overthrow Darth Malgus.


As I take off my helmet, I gaze apon the burning skies of courscant. The smoke clouds, the embers, the heat I could feel on my face. Scenario's like this were the norm to me. It had been a long day. The sacking of the jedI temple had been done. And the republic was hit hard with the death of one the best jedI masters. I take out a death stick and ready it but as soon as I place it in my mouth I was greeted by my client. "You did well Shae. As promised, your reward." I took the credits from his palm and left without word.

My jetpack having been damaged from the battle, seemed that I would now have to walk home. Terrific. Groans echoing around the station, many sith have been injured, some were put down like dogs. Couldn't say I cared. But I didn't like the jedI either. In fact I hated them. But people don't need to know that. My ears catch an argument echoing down the corridors. "I'm tired of your carelessness for your own sith army! My brothers and sisters waste their lives away and you don't even care? Of course you wouldn't. all you care about is your toy slave." a loud thud could be heard followed after. "Adraas you do realize that you're asking for trouble. You may have hit my lover but you will not hit me. You are but a mindless insect compared to me. I could squash you from where you stand."

"I hit a nerve huh? Well the jedI hit my nerve today, and a lot harder in fact. I care about my fellow sith than you do for one person Malgus!" why was I paying attention to this argument? Try as I may I couldn't block the yelling from my drums, nor could I help but listen. Sure I always fancied a good fight. But this just seemed childish. As I'm about to take the left turn I stumble upon a man in dark grey armor clad in a black cloak with a red trim. The mask covering his face and concealing his identity. To me, he was just another sith. And in my way. "Watch it." he snorted. That voice, it belonged to one of the two who were just arguing. "That was quite entertaining." I tried to catch his attention. "You heard?" he asked.

"Who couldn't?" I finished with a slight smirk. How I loved toying with already torn people. I always had a thing for kicking those who are down. "You're the hunter who helped us today. Correct?" I ignored him. Keeping my back turned. Of course I was the hunter. Couldn't he tell by the armor? "I asked you-," the sith placed his hand on my shoulder. THAT got my attention. I grabbed his hand and started twirl around and make my move to bring him on his knees, but he saw it coming. He soon had me in his grasp with his crimson light saber near my throat. But I also had my hidden blade which was reveled in my right gauntlet, close to his neck. "its poisonous." I tried to warn him. But he kept his hold firm.

"I knew you weren't a fan of physical contact. I was only testing you." he released me afterwards, and back away trying to keep his distance from me. "Remember, my dept is payed. You aren't my allies anymore. If you touch me again. I won't hold any punches." I threatened. "You just seem like a helpless crybaby, what with that fight back their." the sith took offense given his body movement, he took a step forward, clenching his fists. "You don't know Darth Malgus. The sith counsel put me in charge to lead the sith into battle. I was the second in command. Malgus gave no credit to any of those who fought along side him. All he cares about is himself and his toy. You'd understand if you were in my position." I scoffed at the siths speech. Was this man for real? Was he really this whiny? For a sith that wasn't very classy. I could say that to him but I had other thoughts in mind. "so why were you testing me? Out with it." I ordered. The sith backed down, leaving his offensive positioning stance. "I'll cut to the chase. I want to hire you."

"Hire me? Well if that's all you wanted you could've just asked. Now if you don't have anything above five grand I'm not helping. I swaged off. "I do." the man simply answered. "so who's the target?" I slouched back on the side arms crossed. "Not here, meet me near the cantina tomorrow night. We'll discuss there." with that said, he took his leave. "one job after another." I sighed under my breath.

I arrived at the designated location at the given time. I gazed at my clock and found out I had minutes to spare. So I slouched in a darkened corner where no one would be able to see me. I always hated being stared at. I'd blame my looks for that. Usually men would try and seduce me but I'd show them who's the boss in a matter of seconds. "men." I scoffed under my breath. Such vile excuse for beings. They think they can just touch whatever they want just because their body structure is different? Hah. Of course there was more to it than that but what would I know? After all I wasn't scum like them. Thankfully.

The minutes flew by quick, and the sith arrived just as he said. "just in time, I was starting to leave." I taunted. "with impatience like that you'll be able to get the job done in no time. No on with business. Come follow me." I emerged from the shadows and did as I was told. They say the customers always right but to me, the client isn't always wrong. We eventually took an abandon ally as our hideout. It felt damp and icky. Acid pouring out of pipse and rats crawling around the side walks. We were at the very ground of the planet that was one big city. The building themselves being their own skyscrapers, the millions of speeders buzzing around almost endlessly. Never once did I think if there skies of this planet were ever going to be empty.

"I'm planning on overthrowing darth Malgus. My leader. He was the one I was arguing with the other day. I want to hit him hard. And I'm going to need your help." hearing this was no surprise to me. From what I've heard, sith always turn on one another. "spare me the reasons. Where is he?" the sith raised his hand towards me almost as if he was lecturing a child. "Let me finish. I said I wanted to hit him hard. I can't enjoy his suffering when he's dead. Here." the sith reached into his cloak, and took out what seemed like a canister. Containing two parasites of some form that I've never seen. "Take these and place them in building 311AB through the window. Be careful they're very poisonous. One bite from them and you'll have the most painful last hours of your life.

"poison Malgus? Doesn't seem that big of an attack to me." I responded finally, placing the canister under my belt. "I never said it was Malgus. I want that annoying twi'lek toy of his dead." as soon as he said that, the pieces started to come together. "So you want him to suffer the pain of loss?" the sith nodded. "Yes, he will soon share the same pain I have to shoulder every single day." I nodded and started to take my leave. Finding my way back to my ship was a chore in it of itself. Did that man have to drag me stories down to the ground for that? I shrugged it off and continued onward. And before I knew it I stood before my personal speeder of choice. Rented obviously to avoid suspicion. I was an assassin after all. Well, somewhat. I found it fun at least.

The traffic in the skies of this planet was ridiculous. You could break ten rules at the same time and no one would notice. No one stayed in their lain, no one stopped, they kept speeding. All of which I took to my advantage. Arriving shortly to my destination, I parked near a building about a mile away from the designated location. Taking out one of my probe droids, I placed the parasites inside the mechanical orb, followed by swiftly inputting the coordinates to the target. With my part done I got back in my speeder and headed off. As I rode off the skies I kept my eye on the scanner that was built in the droid. I could see everything inside the window, there was a bed, and laying on top of the bed was the target. A sleeping twilek. An ugly blue one at that. They all looked the same to me.

The parasites were released from their cylinder prison, slithering and exploring their new location they found themselves in. they kept scanning, trying to find something until finally they sensed a presence. They had discovered the twi'lek. From what I've read from the canister, these parasites were killing machines. They killed any life form they could reach. This was going to be amusing. Parking next to the cantina once again, I sat back and relaxed as I watched the show take place. Wish I had some death sticks right now.

I eventually heard a tap on the door on the left side of my vehicle. Soon realizing it was the sith I motioned him to come in. "Come to watch the show?" the sith did not reply, resting himself in seat in the passenger seat and shutting the door followed afterwards. "the bugs had just taken their bite. What happens now?" I questioned my sudden silent client. "When bitten, the venom will seep into the veins quickly. Rushing into the brain. Every mucsle in the body is cramped and makes the victim feel sharp pain if moved a single inch. Next comes the fever, the victim sweets uncontrollably, followed by seizures and spasms. Finally, internal bleeding, the victim hurls for hours even after nothing is left. All of this combined, this poor sack is going to wish to be killed the first ten seconds.

I stepped on the pedal and drove off. This was easier than I thought. Almost too easy. "I sense a disturbance. Be cautious." the sith lectured calmly. Who does he think he is my teacher? After all I've been in the bounty hunting business for years. What could he possibly have to teach me?

'BONK'

"Keep driving." he ordered. Very well. What else could I do in this situation? I could hear the sith igniting his crimson red light saber, taking the hood of the speeder off and standing upwards. "have we been caught?" I yelled through the howling wind. "You could say that. But this seems to be of different causes." the sith answered with a hint of uneasiness under his voice. a new voice came into hearing. "I've heard what you have done sith trash. Never though I'd live to see a day like this come to pass."

I looked behind me briefly. A figure clad in white armor, covered from head to toe. Not to mention the cloak blowing violently behind him thanks to the searing speed which the vehicle was traveling. I wasn't able to see the action take place but I could make out what was going on through my hearing. The newcomer took out a blaster from his holster, firing four shots. All of them being repelled by the siths light saber. "Impressive. To think you'd block those shots this close." he taunted. after which another light saber ignited. Was this a jedI?

Sabers clashed and whirled. Like I havn't heard enough of those sounds. I took a sharp right turn, then a left, trying to shake the attacker off but to no avail. "Gravity boots my dear." he struggled under his breath, swinging his blue light saber forward only to be blocked by my clients own. "JedI don't attack first, you're no jedI." he said swinging violently. "I was a jedI." blocking each fatal swing the sith threw, eventually colliding one final time in a harsh struggle. Having enough of this I pulled the control stick downwards, motioning the vehicle upwards. Lets see them try and fight vertically. To my surprise somewhat it seemed that they were not affected by my effort. So much for that. Sighing before doing one last thing, I decided to ignore the odds and take a chance at it.

The speeder spun around, looping into a circular motion, eventually both fighters found themselves upside down. Traffic wasn't helping much either given that is was always crowded. I "ex jedI" or so he went by suddenly slashed at the speeders engines. "not good." I tried getting the vehicle under control as it descended downward into the very ground. The crash was violent, I could only see a black and white blur as I jumped out and caught the ledge of a rooftop building. Climbing my way up, with the fight buzzing in my mind and for that matter, my drums, I took this as extra inspiration to quickly climb up and gaze upon the fight.

And quite a sight to behold. One red glowing saber spinning and clashing with a blue saber. I had to admit it was a nice light show. The hissing swords could be heard even from here. The people around them started fleeing. I don't blame them. One swing from one of those and you'd be lucky enough to still be alive. The sith soon got the upper hand, as he overpowered him with with overwhelming strength, causing him to lose the grip on his hilt. The jedI, now at the siths mercy, hand in front, as if a ruthless war veteran was gonna listen? The warrior readied his stance and was about to make his move, but with a swift motion, the ex jedI flung something. It blew a great flash of light that even made me cover my eyes from where I was standing.

A flash grenade. A perfect get away. The light faded, and the attacker was gone. I climbed down from the building as quickly as I could to get to the sith. "I don't remember avengers being on the resume." I retorted. The sith rose up, putting his light saber hilt back under his belt. "After the attack on the jedI temple we did the other day you'd expect to have some mad jedI on your tail." I scoffed at the thought. "dogs. All of them. They only think they matter." not knowing I was ranting out loud the sith looked at me. Though concealed by his mask I could imagine if not tell that this man was eyeing me weirdly.

"So where's my payment?" I tried to break the awkward moment with a slight gesture. "Not so fast. Our job isn't done yet." he said with a hint of anger in his voice. "very well grouch. What now?" the man didn't respond. Only gazed at the empty wall ahead of us. "what indeed." raspy, but mechanical voice chirped nearby. Readying my blaster I turned toward the direction the voice came from, as too did the sith with his light saber.

From what I could see, a figure with structure of that of a man emerged from the shadows, wearing many biomechanical enhancements on his body. Just great, another mysterious figure clad from head to toe. "I've been watching you lord Adraas. You're willingness to kill your 'former' master follows the ways of the sith." he finished with a chuckle. Adraas huh? That was his name.

Adraas put was his light saber once again. As did I now seeing that these two knew each other. He almost looked like one of them. "What brings you here from Korriban Darth Marr?" Adraas questioned. "You and your partner of course." I could just sense the smirk under his mask. Actions always did speak louder than words, and something told me that this man was here for something big. I could feel the aura eradiating from his presence. The tension in the air was heavy as was the gravity. No doubt this was a sith lord, not that I didn't know that already given Adraas calling him by 'darth'.

"out of all the sith warriors, you Adraas stand out the most. Your destiny becomes clearer with each passing moment you strive to take the life of one who ranks far above you. But I can help you young one." young? So he was young. That explained the whininess I've experienced with him earlier. "What would you have me do lord Marr?" strange. Adraas didn't bow, nor did he call him master or ask what his biding was. I always thought all sith did that. Guess not.

"so you accept my offer? Very well. As one of many dark lords of the sith, I now take you, lord Adraas as my sith apprentice. Come." the cloaked sith walked forward, kneeling before darth marr. "The strong emotions of hate, anger and strife, flow fiercely within you. These shall be your weapons, these shall be your keys to unlocking more answers to knowing the true ways of the sith. A powerful warrior you are, and more powerful you shall become. Henceforth you shall be known as…darth karnage."


End file.
